The Par Four Golf Club held their 36th Annual Golf Tournament this past weekend, June 23-24 at the Osceola Municipal Golf Course.

“Each year we put on an annual tournament that benefits several local charities in the Pensacola area,” said Ralph Stallworth, acting corresponding secretary for the organization.

Charities like Learn to Read, the Manna Food Bank, and the Boys and Girls Club of Pensacola all receive a portion of the proceeds from the tournament. The organization is also active with The First Tee, an international youth organization introducing the game of golf and its inherent values to young people.

The Par Four Golf Club is affiliated with a larger umbrella organization called the Southern Association of Southern Golfers, where other golf clubs from across the country fellowship as they compete in SAAG tournaments.

“We play a 17 tournament tour all the way from Columbus, GA to Houston for all of the 17 clubs,” said Stallworth, who has been a member of Par Four since 1978.

This year’s tournament was dedicated in honor of David Black. (Black was one of Par Four’s founding members who recently passed away.)

Stallworth says Par Four is unique because they’ve been a club for a long time.

“This club got started in the early 1970’s, back when African-Americans really couldn’t pay on local golf courses,” he said. “[Osceola] was a city supported golf course, supported by our taxes but we couldn’t play on it.”

After founding member Dr. Charles Augustus, who was recently honored posthumously by the Escambia County School Board, filed a suit against the city, blacks were allowed to play at the golf course.

“Now we not only play out here, but we run this golf course,” Stallworth said referring to Former PGA Pro, Par Four member and Osceola Golf Course Manager, Adrian Stills.